


Robin Hooding

by Bablefishmouse



Series: The Icarus [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Daredevil (TV), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Gen, Its not gone into, More domestic than I intended, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, alternate winter soldier
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-18
Updated: 2017-09-13
Packaged: 2018-01-19 22:16:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1486072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bablefishmouse/pseuds/Bablefishmouse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>About a month or so ago Steve Rogers rescued Loki from SHIELD (it made sense at the time). Now the two of them begin to embark on their new plan to sing less, and to begin stealing from the rich to either give to the poor, or their poor selves, depending on who was talking. What they weren't planing on, was the owner of their warehouse coming back, Natasha Romanov, or Steve having to stop two people from killing others. He wasn't even entirely sure he wanted to.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Rob from the rich, give to...our poor selves.” Loki sang fingering a couple of jackets. Steven Grant Rogers rolled his eyes, testing the material of some trousers a few racks away.

  
“Really?”

  
Loki grinned, blue highlights dancing around his eyes. “What?” The frost giant liberated a black leather jacket from the rack, and pulled it over his ratty shirt. “What do you think?”

  
Steve sighed; turning around to look at his, actually Steve didn’t know how to quantify it anymore. Ally? Friend? Loki wasn’t just the former anymore, but Steve didn’t trust him remotely enough to call him the latter. “We’re not just getting the stuff for ourselves you know.”

  
“Oh, I know!” Loki announced with a grin, walking over to check his appearance in a mirror. He winced, visibly pulling back slightly. Steve wasn’t surprised. He didn’t know how old Loki was, but he did know how long Loki had had to get used to his true form, and he hadn’t spent a lot of that time around mirrors. Loki pulled back, and looked at himself properly.

  
Steve came over, and, putting a hand on Loki’s shoulder, said “The colour and material suit you. You’ll need a better shirt though.”

  
Loki shrugged, “I’m not overly keen actually. Why don’t you try it on?”

  
Steve passed over the trousers he was holding. “Fine, we need to be quick though. While I’ll give you that for a high end department store, this place has appalling security, the police will be on their way.”

  
“So we can’t afford to linger too long. I know.” Loki finished for him, then suddenly shut his mouth firmly jabbing his thumb towards the front doors, and then the fire exit. Steve nodded, understanding the signal.

  
Loki picked up the trousers, grabbed a couple of other jackets, and began edging towards the fire exit. Steve shrugged the jacket over his shoulder, and grabbing a couple of larger sizes. There was no way anything that fit Loki was going to fit him.

  
They rushed out of the fire exit, separating at the first bend. Steve ran, not flat out, but certainly at a minimum of 70%. By the time the police would notice where the intruders had left, they would both be far away.

  
Steve stopped running after a few streets, in the end he would only be more conspicuous, and the posh shopping district, whatever they called in these days, was not exactly close to the warehouse. Still, it wasn’t bad for a first trip into ‘being Robin Hood’, Steve thought. Not that he was overly happy about it, but the company had Civil Right violations as long as his arm, and it wasn’t like they’d hurt anyone. The Robbing that was, not the Civil Rights violations. Those were hurting someone, and while that wasn't exactly the point, it kind of was...

  
He consulted the jackets in the not so dim light of the advertisements, putting one of the bigger ones on, and zipping it up. Oh well, he thought as he headed back, maybe Loki would be sensible and go straight back to the warehouse. It was an amusing thought, he was just as lightly to agree that SHIELD had been right to order the extermination of those kids. Steve didn’t care if they were trained by the Russian Intelligence, the oldest of them had been fourteen, and the youngest nine. There was no way he was ever, ever, going to agree with that order, or even regret his following actions, even given the consequences.

  
There was no way Loki would avoid getting into trouble, the only actual question was would he handle it without killing anyone, or would he not.

  
Chances are, due to a wish to keep a low profile, he wouldn’t. The sort of Asguardian was more than capable of taking care of himself as long as he was well fed, and there weren’t too many opponents. So when he decided to break into a store, he should be able to handle the guards without killing them.

  
Steve unlocked the door to the warehouse. Loki had decided to pinch a large padlock a day or so previously,and it had come with a couple of keys. It wouldn’t keep anyone determined out, but the lock did sort of signify that the warehouse was theirs. It also showed that Steve wished that Loki would stop stealing, but then after tonight that was a little hypocritical. It’s not like they’d keep most of the stuff anyway.  
The padlock, or at least the subsequent claiming, also meant Steve felt like he could actually start to clean the warehouse out, at least when Loki was out. Steve got the distinct impression that if Steve tried to clean up while Loki was there he’d make some sort of comment about the pettiness of mortals, or lesser life forms.

  
Steve did find it slightly depressing that his first home in five years was essentially squatting in an abandoned building, with one of the world’s most wanted. Still, it wasn’t part of his personality to focus on the negative aspects of life. The warehouse was, Steve admitted, a very good size. In fact, despite the old bits of loading machinery in it, it was larger than most people’s homes.  In fact Steve didn’t even know the full layout of the warehouse, a fact which just occurred to him.

  
Loki swaggered, for want of a better word, in at that moment, dressed in a long dark green frock coat. “This is much more my style, don’t you think?”

  
“Suits you like the summers day.” Steve replied absent mindedly, not really looking up from where he was investigating.

  
“So that would be ill then.” Loki pointed out, “Or am I missing a joke here?” Steve didn’t reply, disappearing around the side of one of the old rigs. “What are you doing?”

  
“Did it occur to you, at some point, that we don’t actually know the layout of this place.” Steve explained distractedly, spotting a door at the far end of the warehouse, “I felt like exploring.”

  
Loki rolled his eyes “Have fun then, Dora the Explorer.” He shrugged his coat off, hanging it off one of the bits of machinery.

  
“What’s that?” Steve asked after a moment, half ignoring him in favour of trying to get the door open without kicking it in.

  
“No idea, heard a couple of kids talking about it last time we were in the park.” Loki explained away, “What are you doing?”

  
 “Dancing the ca-can, what does it look like I’m doing?” Steve nearly added ‘you moron’ to the end, but stopped himself just in time.

  
“No need to get snarky Captain, it was a mere enquiry. May I ask why you haven’t picked the lock, or will I get my head bitten off, chewed and spat out again.”

  
“Nah, I’ll swallow it.” Steve muttered under his breath, and then sighed “Because unbelievably, I can’t do everything.”

  
“What ho, something I can do in this state that you can’t.” Loki smirked. It looked decidedly sinister, particularly as it actually denoted a slightly self-deprecating amusement.

  
“Loki, with all due respect, shut-up and come and pick this lock.”

  
“Touchy, touchy.”

  
Steve _**looked**_ at him.

  
Loki mirrored the _**look**_.

  
Eventually, Steve conceded the staring contest, but largely because he actually wanted that door opened at some point this century. Sometimes working with Loki reminded Steve of working with a seven year old child.

Sometimes Steve thought that working with a seven year old child would be easier.

  
Loki picked the lock in about twenty seconds, leaving Steve feeling slightly anti-climactic. “What do you think, office, secret underground lair, SHIELD listening to every word we say?”

  
Loki smiled slightly “The first or the last.”

  
Steve opened the door. It was an office, which was slightly disappointing, although not at all surprising. The office did, however, have an old desk, with a very dusty computer sitting on top of it. Steve blew heavily, sending the dust lying into Loki’s eyes.

  
“Hey,” Loki objected.

  
“Sorry,” Steve half meant it, but was far more pre-occupied with the logo onto of the bulky PC. “Huh, Hammer Industries, from the way Tony talks this thing wouldn’t start up when it was new. Certainly explains why it was left behind.”

  
“Hmm,” Loki grunted non-committedly.

  
Steve realised the tense he’d used “Sorry, I didn’t…”

  
“It’s fine.” Loki cut him off, really not wanting any more discussions on either of their pasts. “Do you want to turn it on?” He asked, sounding far more sarcastic than Steve had heard in a couple of days. It was kind of nice to see the return.

  
“Well, I can try…” Steve was unconvinced “but even if this thing works, and that is a big if, I severely doubt that this place has mainline electricity.”

  
“So primitive.” Loki sniffed. “Whatever happened to the arc reactors, or whatever they were called?”

  
“Stark tech, and after this time by a few years, as far as I know anyway. I wasn’t exactly around for most of this.” Steve looked around for an on switch.

  
“I know,” Loki remarked with a mischievous smile.

  
“Shut-up,” Steve’s words held no heat. He found the on switch and pressed it. To both of their surprise, the computer actually turned on. It didn’t get very far before crashing and failing and crashing, but it did turn on. “Well that confirms one hypothesis, and tells us something else.”

  
“And what might that be?” Loki asked dryly.

  
“It confirms that Hammer tech is rubbish, and it tells us that this place is either still connected to the main power grid, or it has its own generators.” Steve said “Given that their using Hammer tech, I’d bet that their still connected to the national grid.”

  
“What does that mean?”

  
“Well to start with, we can see if any of the lights work.”

  
They didn’t, but a couple of spare bulbs Loki found in a supply cupboard did. The discovery of working electricity also allowed Steve to move some of the lifting rigs. Out of the three rigs, two were now pointed upright, almost like pillars, and the third formed a walkway to an upper balcony area above where the office was. The balcony area Steve and Loki were currently exploring.

  
“Just another empty room here, that makes four of them, right?”

  
“Five including this one and the office.” Loki called through from an adjoining room. “Although, I think I can see the toilets.”

  
“Ah,” Steve said with a grin, there was an extremely grimy disabled toilet off the main body of the warehouse they’d been using, but it was good to know that the unlockable cubicle wasn’t their only option. “Any chance of showers?”

  
“Indeed, there is indeed a probability of finding that mysterious item in the bathroom. As of yet I have not explored that place, so it is still in a state of flux. There are both showers, and no showers.” Loki snarked.

  
There was a long pause of silence as Steve tried to find the right phrasing. Eventually he blurted out “I’m not sure what you just said, but you sounded like Tony Stark.” The surname was an afterthought. Steve wasn’t sure why he still felt some connection to the inventor that he’d spent most of the time he’d known him sniping at, but there was some little thing that tugged at the back of his brain sometimes, just something…  
Maybe it was because in the end Tony had been so right on SHIELD that it hurt.

  
“Steve?” Loki called through, “Steve!”

  
Steve shook his head and looked at the man waving his hand in front of his face. “Sorry, did I zone out for a bit?”

  
“Yeah, you could say that. I’ve been trying to get your attention for the past few minutes.” Loki shook his head, “What the hell happened?”

  
“It’s nothing…”

  
“Shush!” Loki urged suddenly pulling Steve down. “Do you hear what I hear?” He continued almost under his breath, counting on the super-serum hearing picking it up.  
It did. Steve was hearing a lot more than just Loki’s murmured question. There were footsteps, and shouting, and machinery. Someone was in the warehouse.  
  



	2. The Noise, and more disturbances.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who do those footsteps belong to?

The footsteps were getting closer now, as Loki and Steve edged away from the windows. The room was completely empty, except for them. Steve could feel his heart beating, beating faster than it had in a long time and, just for a moment, he was back to being that scrawny guy in the alley. The same guy that had never stood a chance.

Loki gently put a hand on his shoulder. The frost giant was not a kind being, nor was he tactful or particularly merciful, but he was a survivalist. Right now, in order to survive, he needed Steven Rogers alive, well, and capable to fight.

The door nudged open. Fingers appeared through the crack. Then they stopped.

“Alf,” A voice called from down on the factory floor. “The boss is coming.”

“Just a mo.” The guy, presumably Alf, called from just outside the room. “I’m just checking there’s no-one here.”

“Alf, no-one’s going to be here. The padlock on the door was probably a holdover from the last owner of this dump.” The voice called up, long suffering. “Now get down here before the boss does. He’s just got out of prison you know.”

Steve inhaled sharply as the fingers disappeared from view. Loki’s grip on his shoulder relaxed fractionally. Steve swallowed the impulse to shrug it off. “We sit in here and we wait this out, move once they’ve left.” he whispered, “Unless you’ve got a better idea?”

Loki shook his head. “Not until we know what this mysterious new owner was in prison for.”

They had to play it safe, at least for now. It would be a shame to lose the warehouse, after all they’d just started being comfortable, but it was better than being caught, especially by less than saintly beings. Loki wasn’t sure he could face captivity again, not after The Other. He’d barely held it together last time, and he’d been relatively sure SHIELD didn’t have the guts to do anything, not without the paperwork first.

Loki shed his coat, which he'd grabbed earlier, and handed it to Steve, then he gestured towards the door. Steve nodded, as Loki crept out onto the balcony, looking out over the vast floor below. He didn’t recognise any of the five men.

One of them, cocky, short and even more arrogant than Thor at his worst, stood in the centre and spoke: “Well, this is my humble abode. From this starting point I will go forward, from this starting point I will go on, and I will be great. I will conquer this world, and no-one will ever remember the name Iron Man, for they will love me so much that they will shower me with adorations and love me. I will build the greatest tech empire this world has ever seen, I shall be Alexander the Great, I will be the chief lion and intimidate all the other fish in the sea.”

Apparently, Loki thought, short and arrogant was even worse than Thor at making speeches as well, especially as there was no-one to hear him. Seriously, even Fandral wasn’t that bad. Usually.

Short and arrogant was still monologing “Those that dare to oppose me shall fear the Hammer as we, the hammer, dare to drown those who oppose us, and we shall rise again on the dawn of opportunity. We are migrant birds facing the new spring, who shall be the new emperors of old."

Yeah, right, Loki thought, that guy might be dangerous, but only because he was clearly mentally unstable. Or possibly because of the goons he had with him. Either way Loki doubted he could learn anything more from watching a carefully rehearsed shit speech be acted out. He crept back inside the room where Steve and he had hid.

"So now there's that guy." He copied a remark he’d once heard a long time ago.

Steve 'huhed' as if he recognised the comment, "Any idea who he is?"

Loki shook his head. "Unfortunately not, although he's loud, arrogant, and the worst speech maker that I've ever come across. Even Fandral knew not to mix his metaphors like that."

"Fandral?" Steve asked 

"One of Thor's friends, did he never mention him?" Loki was curious, surely his 'big brother' had bragged about his glorious kills time and time again.

Steve thought for a moment "No, I don't think so, but he didn't talk a lot about his old life in my presence. He talked constantly of Jane, sure. Couldn't stop talking of Jane, and a fair bit of Darcy, and of Eric Selvig, but there was very little talk of Asgard. He may have guessed my personal distaste of the bragging of death, even of animals."

"Oh yes," Loki couldn't help but roll his eyes, "The perfect soldier, yet soft on little animals."

"Not the perfect soldier." Steve interjected "A good man."

Loki glared at him, which happened much less than it used to. Considering it used to be his default look, that wasn’t saying much.

"A perfect soldier would not be in my position." Steve pointed out, if he followed orders blindly, he'd still be with SHIELD, "And a perfect soldier would not leave you alive."

"Are you threatening me?" Loki asked in a low growl.

"Like I said," Steve spread his arms wide then pointed to his chest as Dr Erskine had done so many years before. "Not a perfect soldier, but a good man." He grinned at the look on Loki's face which ranged somewhere between trying not to laugh, and about to embark on a mass murdering campaign. Eventually Loki shook his head.

"You, Steve Rogers, are evil." Loki declared.

"I'm going to choose to take that as a compliment." Steve declared grinning. 

"I bet you are!" Loki rolled his eyes, but then smiled slightly.

There was a loud noise from outside the room and Steve and Loki froze. They'd completely forgotten they weren't alone in the warehouse. Loki made to creep out again but Steve shook his head throwing Loki's coat back at him. "I've been undercover before. And I might recognise the guy." He whispered shedding his own jacket. "Besides I'm just some guy, you're kind of distinctive."

With that Steve left, creeping out along the balcony to where he should be able to see the floor of the Warehouse below. A surprising sight met him.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the famous Antony Stark come to visit the little old me!" A short guy with dirty hair and a clear attitude problem declared, presumably Loki's 'short and arrogant'. Steve didn't recognise him, or the goons, but he recognised very clearly the two new entrants to the warehouse. What's more, if they looked up they'd recognise him.

Tony Stark stood as if on a pedestal, dressed immaculately in a, probably tailored, suit. Natasha Romanov stood next to him, dressed similarly, which was more unusual. "Justin Hammer." Tony sounded like he wanted to spit the name, but refrained with the barest civility. "You are one of the lowest life forms still left on this Earth. I hope you don't waste your short lived freedom, because let me tell you, I, and my friends, will be watching you."

"So if you don't want it to be a short life..." Natasha grinned, causing Steve’s stomach to clench up on the balcony, while she looked Hammer straight in the eyes.

"Oh, Antony, all this fuss just for little old me." Short and Arrogant, who must be Justin Hammer, gestured to himself in mock innocence. He lent forwards to Natasha's face "Don't worry Dolly," He continued patronisingly "I'll have plenty of room for aging eye candy when I rule the world."

Natasha spat in his face. Steve had to stop himself from cheering, as the dribble ran down Justin Hammer's cheeks.

Natasha rolled he eyes "Don't worry," She spoke with an equally patronising tone "I'll leave you alone with your..." She paused for a moment letting her gaze roll around the warehouse. Just for a nanosecond her eyes collided with Steve's. He shook his head frantically, not even sure what he was saying, apart from don't say. Natasha turned back to Hammer "Empire." She finished with a grin, tossing her hair over her shoulder as she turned and walked out of the warehouse.

Tony Stark paused just long enough to add "While you've still got one." before following her out, oblivious to Steve's presence, fortunately.

Steve snuck back inside the room, his thoughts mainly running along the terribly indecent line of several swear words he hadn't even known that he knew. Loki looked up expectantly.

"If we hadn't had to move before, we do now." was the first thing Steve said.

"Problems?" Loki asked blandly.

"With a capitol B L A C K W I D O W." Steve added. Loki recognised that term.

"I didn't see her before?"

"You wouldn't have done, her arrival was that commotion, well she arrived with Tony Stark, but he's not the problem, nor is Justin Hammer, whose 'short and arrogant' by the way, the problem is," Steve paused pulling the leather jacket on "that Natasha spotted me, and she's Natasha, so she'll have recognised me, which means that if, and a big if, we're lucky, she'll turn up herself after dark, and probably interrogate me, she can't have worked out about you, apart from anything else you weren't there, but she might connect me to the guy braking you out, and then she'll know about you, so she'll probably tell SHIELD, so they'll come and arrest both of us, and then..."

"Steve." Loki cut off the blabbering "While it's an interesting discovery that you babble when scared, I get the point that we need to move as soon as we can."

"Okay," Steve nodded, taking a few deep breaths. "Do you want to go and watch when they're gone, and then we can get out of here and move somewhere else. If we're better dressed the Homeless shelters might take us."

"Steve," Loki pointed out "I'm blue. I think they might notice I'm not just cold.”

Steve didn't know quite how to react to that. He left it a moment then added "Shush, you know, Hammer and stuff. Unless you're planning on selling me out and joining him."

"Nah," Loki scoffed, very quietly "I did promise that I wouldn't take over this world, and mother would never forgive me if I broke that. besides, he can't even make a speech, let alone actually succeed in anything ambitious."

Steve found it very telling that the main reason Loki wouldn't go back on his promise was that his mother would 'never forgive him' and that he only wasn't joining Hammer because he'd never win. It showed a sort of pragmatism which Steve admired, in its own way, but also the opportunism, which Steve didn't. The thing about his mother had two implications, one that that was just the Asgardian way, to live with and obey their parents or two, that (in terms of proportion of age span) Loki was a good deal younger than anyone had yet realised.

"How old are you?" Steve asked, curious.

"About 900 of your earth years, why?"

"Curious about something, how long do your... Asgardians live for, usually?"

"It can vary," Loki shrugged "It’s usually around 5000 years, to die of Old age, my...Odin, is older than that, and many die younger in battles, although there haven't been any since I was of an age to remember."

"If you assume the average lifespan of a human is about a hundred years, to die of old age, 900 divided by 5000, is just under a fifth. So you're the equivalent of an eighteen or nineteen year old." Steve finished working out maths out loud. "Bloody hell, you're a teenager."

"I feel terrified at the thought." Loki shivered "it doesn't really work directly like that at all, we're not considered children since we were about 500, although I guess I was still in my more youthful age, having not reached my thousandth year yet. I'm probably closer to about early-mid-twenties, I'd guess."

"Thor's mid-twenties," Steve guessed, going on his behaviour, it had changed since his time sure, but not that much, after all, Steve was, well he was early-mid thirties by now, he'd kind of forgotten that, not that it really mattered. "Or was, it's kind of been a while since I've seen him."

"He's mid-twenties." A female voice announced behind him.

Ah Shit!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank-you for reading. Sorry about the late update, my exams are nearly upon me I'm afraid. I'll try and get the next one up more quickly. Feedback, as usual, is appriciated.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't think I'd ever update this, but who knew, it wasn't ass bad as I remembered it.

Steve jumped, fingers twitching for a shield that wasn't there as he spun round. Loki had a knife out and was in mid throw before he briefly aborted and flipped the grip, at the sight of the black uniformed lady, her red hair tied in a slightly scruffy bun, crouching what was now before them. She looked at Loki scouring his face for several minutes before answering Steve's call of "What the hell!" which had been rather too loud not to alert anyone in the building.

"Huh," The Black Widow said after a moment, relaxing her posture slightly "Steve Rogers and Loki, never thought I'd see the day. May I?" she gestured to the floor, upon which she was already crouched.

"Uh, yeah, sure, what?" Steve mumbled as she un-perched herself and stuck her legs out properly collapsing on the floor keeping between Steve and Loki, and a fair distance between them too.

"So," Natasha's voice was deliberately light hearted and casual "What have you been up to since I last saw you? Any world domination planned?"

Steve was not sure he liked that she added the second question on. Not that he had any world domination plan, but it showed a certain flippancy, one that he wasn't really keen on showing. But he answered the question: "No, homelessness really, moping about, starving, lots of alley fights, that takes me back, bit of busking more recently, and a little less starving."

Natasha turned to Loki "I promised not to, it's too much work, and same really. Exiled to Misguard, powers stripped and true appearance revealed, starving, homelessness, lost lots of alley fights, and a bit of busking recently."

They both left out their 'Robin Hood' idea of a future lifestyle.

Natasha probably knew anyway.

"An ex-superhero and an ex-supervillain living on the streets of New York, and the two of you end up busking. This is either some trick of the universe, or a Broadway musical, I'm not sure which."

"Huh," Steve smiled slightly, which caused Loki to relax his grip on the knife, and lower it to his side. He could throw it in half a second anyway, but it looked for trusting. "So how've you guys been, in the last five years?"

"Good, good." Natasha added absent mindedly "James is kind of cute, you know."

"I know." Steve muttered, not really intending it to be heard. Natasha definitely heard, even if she didn't show it.

"Anyway, other than that, Tony is still being annoying; he broke up with Pepper actually, twice. Well, I say he broke up with Pepper. She broke up with him, they got back together and then they broke up by 'mutual decision'."

Steve nearly winced. Audible quote marks are rarely good.

"Clint's being a dick, nothing new there; he still falls over himself half the time and then swears at anyone else who saw. Admittedly he's worse than usual lately because we found out that Coulson's alive."

"Ah" Steve interrupted "I'd found _that_ out on my own. Were the two of them close?"

"Coulson was Clint's SO for several years, so reasonably, yes." Natasha replied watching Loki's reaction out of the corner of her eye.

"Coulson?" Loki eventually asked, "The name rings a bell, but I can’t put my finger on it."

"He's the guy that shot you with the big gun on your invasion trip." Steve explained, as casually as he dared. Sure Natasha was technically one of the 'good guys' but even when on the same team he'd never been quite sure she wouldn't shoot him in the back there and then if someone asked her to. Well, before his last mission anyway.

"Ah," Loki placed the figure "A formidable warrior, I'm glad he has the opportunity to have further battles, or whatever the customary phrase is.”

That was as fake as Steve had ever heard Loki, and this was Natasha, who'd figured him out the first time around in about five minutes. They both knew Loki was bluffing, the only thing was, would they call him out on it?

Apparently not, as the moment passed.

"Thor?" Loki asked after a moment "How is my asshole older brother doing?"

"Absentina." Natasha said "He's either on Asgard or with Jane in London a large portion of the time, even though her intern is here. Darcy walked in on one of Jane's Skype chats to Tony and as soon as Clint could try and prevent it she had rooms here at the tower. Technically so does Jane actually. You'll have heard the rest of the Avengers news on the news I suppose."

"Not really." Loki snapped "When you've got no money except from what you can basically beg, one of you is blue, and both are homeless, you don't tend to spend money on newspapers or something to access the web."

Something passed over Natasha's face.

"We've only just got this place waterproof and we're having to move on due to the actual owners coming back." Steve explained more civilly.

"Oh I wouldn't worry about him for very long." Natasha smiled predatorily "But I know somewhere you can stay in the meantime." She flipped herself upright. "Come on, it's an ex-safe house, but it should be fine from Hammer and the like."

"Uh, Natasha?" Steve called after her as she left the room, he rushed after her to find her paused on the metal beam.

"Yeah,"

"Who else knows?"

Loki appeared behind Steve, handing him a small bag, which Steve slung over his back. They’d picked up a few things in the few weeks they’d been allies.

"That you two are holed up here, no-one else at my end yet, unless Stark's more observant than he’s let on. About the ex-safe house, me, Clint, Bruce, and Stark, which is why it's an _ex-_ safe house." She resumed walking down the metal bar, then summersaulted to the ground. "SHIELD doesn’t know, if that's what you’re worried about. The Avengers aren't particularly fond of SHIELD at the moment."

"Yeah," Steve muttered knowing full well both other parties could hear him "but you don't like SHIELD to the extent Tony never liked SHIELD, which is nothing to the extent that I don’t like SHIELD."

"Want to bet." Natasha muttered at a volume which Steve probably wasn't meant to hear.

"Do you trust her?" Loki stopped Steve just as he was about to follow her down the beam. Steve paused for a moment.   


"Have you got your knives?" Steve asked him after a moment. Loki nodded "Good, we can probably handle an ambush unless it's the Avengers. And I doubt that they're that subtle."

Natasha smiled slightly, in anyone else the equivalent of a full bodied laugh. Steve guessed the idea of the Hulk being able to carry out a stealth attack was quite amusing. Either that or the sight of him walking down the steel beam was. Steve reached near the end, and, as an act of defiance, summersaulted off in the same manner as Natasha had a few minutes before. Loki followed suit, although less defiant, and more compliant to the trend. Steve wondered if this had been how things were is Asgard.

"You don't have much stuff," Natasha observed skimming her eyes over the warehouse, and the small bag on Steve’s back. Not that she, probably, hadn't already cased the place several times already. Steve was tired of people pretending that they hadn't done something, or that they didn't mind something when they did. He could be careful, he could be sneaky, but for god's sake he was a soldier or some guy from Brooklynn. He was not built for this.

"Yes well, we've only not had a chance to steal much stuff." Steve cut through the bullshit.

"Steve Rogers, where did your morals go?" Natasha was surprised, but not, at the same time.

"They're on loan to me." Loki snarked.

There was a slight muscle movement in Natasha's forehead, which would probably have been a smile on anyone else. "As long as they stay loaned while I'm here. The house is furnished basically, well it was last time I saw it, Tony's used since then, so it could have an exploded cooker or have received full Stark treatment."

So Tony hadn't changed then, Steve thought to himself. He was clearly still loud, brilliant, and prone to blowing everything (including himself) up. That was nice to know, he wondered about asking after the bots, but that seemed a bit much. Steve didn't want to offend Loki by asking too much into his old life. Any ‘kindness’ on Natasha’s part would be temporary. The arrangement with Loki was also temporary. But the former was like a chocolate bar: sweet but ultimately empty and gone in ten minutes. The later was more like a roommate from the orphanage: an absolute pain, but with distinct benefits, and probably lasts about a year.

Natasha noted Loki's reactions to the term 'Stark Treatment' with interest, mainly his lack of reaction or indeed any confusion. "So, are you two friends now?" she began in her 'fake gossip' voice.

Steve didn't know quite how to answer.

Loki didn't quite either.

"I guess, sort of, Steve's the closest I've had to one I think. Certainly since Lorelai, and we parted paths about six hundred years ago."

"Hmmm" Natasha commented, or rather didn't.

"Six hundred years ago, so you'd have been three hundred, so three hundred divided by five thousand is 3/50, multiply that by a hundred, so you were roughly six?!"

"Perhaps slightly older, maybe seven or eight. As I said before, age is not directly transferable."

"Hmmm" Natasha was being even more coherent than Steve remembered her today. They'd left the warehouse behind by a few blocks by now, and were getting the usual looks of bafflement over Loki's form. It wasn't his fault he was blue. Well, it kind of was, but, details.

Natasha turned a few more corners, before heading down into a subway station.

"Er, Natasha," Steve called causing her to turn around with a 'what' look on her face. "Cameras, we're trying to stay," Steve thought for thirty seconds and rephrased that sentence "we're trying to lie low."

"You shouldn't go robbing department stores then." She retorted, which cleared up any suspicions Steve had on that front. He didn't move, and nor did Loki.

"Fine, this is going to take ages without taking the train though. It’s not like SHIELD hasn’t already got you on surveillance footage, you’re welcome by the way. And it usually takes them ages to shift through the footage."

"Blue." Loki pointed out, "Also, a little taller than your average human. Although, somewhat shorter than your average frost giant."

"Fair enough,” Natasha considered, she could wipe already damaged records from the databanks, but she couldn’t wipe it from peoples memory. “You two better keep up."

"I think there's a fair chance we're faster than you." Loki pointed out "Given, Supersoldier and very experienced foot hunter."

“On your left.” Steve muttered under his breath, giving a small, weak, sad, smile. He missed Sam, no idea where he’d gotten to.

Natasha raised an eyebrow, but set off at a fast pace across the city, across the park to quite a different district. The apartment block that she approached was not going to win any awards for being the nicest thing in New York City, but it wasn't going to be knocked down any time soon either. Steve guessed that it was a rather dilapidated building from just before the stock market crash, but it was difficult to tell from the outside.

Natasha keyed in a very long code for the door (252 259 433 690) and opened it revealing an equally dilapidated floor with mats covering whatever the original flooring was, probably concrete.

They passed the solid, plain, boring, walls and Natasha approached a door, opening the hatch to put a key in. "I have spares. And I'll enter you in the system."

With that she opened the door and led them down a narrow flight of stairs into the apartment below. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natasha's come to help, but can they trust her?

To Natasha, having unfortunately got used to the Avenger's Tower, the large, open plan, apartment wasn't either that big or that good. Steve was still staring at the evidence of proper running water. The dusty concrete floor continued, although it was a weird shade of green, and there was a large puddle in it at one end near the kitchen, underneath the (thank-fully intact) open window. That was dusty too, actually it was all dusty, the entire place, but there was a camp bed, possibly damp, and a sofa, definitely damp. There was even a TV which may even work, given Steve couldn't imagine that it wasn't made by Stark Industries.

To Loki, once used to the fabled glory and splendour of Asgard, the dilapidated room was a welcome sight.

Natasha tutted. "The camp bed and the leak will be Stark's fault. I'd never sleep within view of an entrance like that. The bathroom and bedrooms are around the corner; give me a minute to enter the two of you in the security codes."

"Well this seems nice," Steve began lamely, the second Natasha was out of the door.

"Do you trust her?" Loki asked, slightly more tense than usual.

"Natasha?" Steve asked, then considered for a moment. "I wouldn’t want to stay here for too long, and I’d do a sweep for bugs. But I trust her not to sell us out to say Hydra, I'm just far, far less certain about selling us out to the Avengers, or SHIELD, or just killing us." Loki grunted, semi-approvingly, Steve thought. Something few into his head and he added as an afterthought "So, in conclusion, I trust her about as much as I trust you."

"Not going to sell you out at this moment, but not someone to make long-term plans with." Loki summarised, a little coldly.

Steve hadn't realized he'd offended the Frost Giant, or rather that he could, in terms of lack of trust. He clarified "Someone I trust to watch my back in a fight, and I'd let keep watch, but not someone I'd trust to be on my team indefinitely in the future."

Natasha returned at that moment, swinging a cord in her hands in a very lethal looking way. "That's nice to know," she gave Steve a small red and gold box, "You always were too trusting." She gave Loki an identical box, then looked him steely in the eye "you can compensate for that I assume?"

Loki nodded, he remembered The Black Widow from his first trip to Misguard. He had thought if they'd met in different circumstances they might have got on rather well. It occurred to him that these may be the circumstances, but he didn't see anything more than a terse alliance happening any time soon.

That was probably for the good of everyone who didn’t want to be run out of town very rapidly. With him at full powers and no morals the two of them could destroy this city within a day.

“What’s the box?” Steve asked.

“Keys, and information to put into the system. Stuff’s in the usual place, don’t let anyone in, the bomb the tripwire’s set to is small, but it’d still probably kill you. That it, providing Stark hasn’t upgraded it.” Natasha’s voice was far from its scariest, that was a quiet whisper, but the monotone medium volume was somewhere near there end of the spectrum.

“Okay, Thank-you, I think.” Steve said, looking at Loki. Loki couldn’t quite tell what he was thinking, but he knew which lines it was on. So not long was looking like it wouldn’t even be one night. Why was Steve being sensible for once? It would have been nice to stay somewhere indoors tonight.

“Thank-you, most dishonourable Widow. We would not wish to keep you any longer, should your absence be detected. I’m sure that the rest of the Avengers must be missing you.” Loki moved smoothly, stroking the box. It looked like ‘silvertongue’ was never significantly far away.

Romanov paused for a second, “You’re welcome. And I guess as you two delayed the trip across the city, I do have to get back. I’ll see you in a week or so time.” Well that was them rumbled then.

“Thank-you,” Steve smiled his most artificial smile and stuck it onto his face as he watch Natasha walk out of the door. It dropped the second she left. “We’re screwed.”

“As doomed as Ioda the stupid.” Loki agreed, opening the box. “What do you think, SHIELD or going straight to the Avengers?”

“Difficult to tell. She’s attached to the idea of SHIELD, wanting to see it as the point where she changed, but she’s no idealistic idiot.”

Loki nodded, picking up the bag he’d discarded on the floor. “So, stay the, well it’s the day by now, and leave at midday or not risk it?”

“I’d like to think she’d give us a grace period, but I know how… well Natasha knows it will be much easier to take us when we’re asleep, so we’d probably better move at least a little bit.” Steve paused for a moment. “The top apartment.”

“The Chief chambers?” Loki asked sceptically.

“Penthouse suite,” Steve corrected absent mindedly, shaking his head “Not in a building like this, it’ll be little more than a loft. It’s either where the monitoring equipment is for SHIELD, or its empty. The buzzer was removed, I remember.”

Loki stood still for a moment weighing up his own options and memory, it wasn’t that he didn’t trust Steve’s memory; it was that he didn’t trust Steve where the Avengers were concerned, or his judgment full stop. After a moment he nodded “Alright Captain, let’s try the top space.”

They took the stairs up, not that it was a tall apartment building, or that they’d been walking all night or anything. After the fourteenth floor the stairs got even narrower, and the handrail disappeared.

“Safety hazard much,” Steve shot to Loki, behind him. He didn’t use sarcasm as a costume, unlike some genii he could mention, but he did use it to distract everyone else. If this was the SHIELD monitoring station, then they’d have heard that they were coming, and be prepared. If it wasn’t… That was the bigger problem.

The small door at the top of the stairs was covered with grease, with a particularly grimy layer on the door handle. Steve pressed his hand to it, then slipped. He wiped his clammy, stained palms on the t-shirt. He almost swore it shivered. Steve tried the handle again.

The slow groan upon the door opening completely startled Loki who’d spent so long on edge that he thrust his hands forward, only for nothing to happen. “Oh,” He said, a single word empty of emotion.

Steve realised a moment later what he’d meant to happen. “Oh,” What do you say to someone who instinctively casts magic, only for nothing to happen. To someone who has nothing, and perhaps deserves it. What do you say? “I’m sorry,”

“It’s not really your fault.” Loki admitted “It’s pretty much only my fault that I fucked up. I mean I’ll blame Odin until the end of days. Thor can go and, oh I don’t care.” Loki straightened up and walked into the attic space. “I don’t care.” He addressed to the white boxes. “I don’t care about Odin. I cared about my mother, and I’d rather avoid killing Thor, but I honestly don’t care one way or the other about Odin.” His voice was on edge, as if the glass was cracked, but had yet to fall into pieces.

“That’s good.” Steve didn’t really know what to say. He rarely did around Loki, even before taking into account that this was _Loki_ , and **_Loki_**. He was The Avenger’s first enemy, and Steve’s only friend. He was nine-hundred years old, and yet barely out of his teens. As was kind of evidenced by the fact he was clearly freaking out really quite majorly for Steve to be able to tell, about the fact he’d prefer not to kill his brother.

“Shall we?” Steve gestured to the leads leading out of the servers. Loki nodded and began pulling them out.

“You do realise this may be the results from Mr Stark’s experiments .” Loki asked

“What’s the chances of that really?” Steve asked, removing the power from the last one. “Do you think we can get some water, or fizzy drinks up here?”

“That work?” Loki asked, really missing his fireballs about now.

“Yeah, at least in theory. We won’t be able to do anything about data already sent, but I don’t trust this not to have an internal power source, and we should destroy the data left on them.” Loki gave Steve look as he finished speaking “What, I spilt something on my pc when I had one and it completely fried the thing. I’m not completely ignorant, just not Tony Stark Tech genius standard.

“Here I was thinking I was the destructive one.” Loki said with a smirk.

“I used to carry the blunt instrument and you were the subtle one. The, uh, knife in the crack as it were.”

Loki smiled at the compliment, then asked “So, Hammer, what are we doing?”

“I have the beginnings of a plan. Did you ever watch Home Alone?”

“What?”

“Clearly not, you’d have never got an opportunity. Think of bobby trapping every single inch of the warehouse.”

“So, are you saying we need to raid a few more stores?”

“Oh, I think the library is needed first.”

The two of them shared a slow smile. Steve admitted “I kind of want Stark to be there, just to see the look of delight on his face. We’ll have to balance this carefully though. It’ll be traced back to us, and we will have to find a new place, probably out of the city quite a way. We were very lucky to find that warehouse.”

Loki looked at him for a moment. Unfortunately Steve had known him long enough to recognise the ‘I’m about to do something rash’ look.

“We can’t just go back there, we have neither the resources nor the manpower to keep it even if we manage to kick Hammer out.”

“We’ll kick Hammer out.” Loki was sure about that.

Steve perched on the edge of one of the now defunct hardrives. It was fizzing slightly. He didn’t really want to have to rebuild elsewhere either. And that Warehouse was massive, and he’d never been keen on keeping all that space to themselves. “What if it wasn’t just us?”

Loki had regained as much majesty as he’d mustered since his fall and **_looked_** at Steve. “No.”

Steve started to object.

“We’ve had this discussion before. It’s not safe.”

“We could keep the top bit with the offices just for us and lock that, and set up a trading system to stay, and maybe with anyone else there. If there were loads of people then it’d help with the manpower to keep the warehouse to ourselves.”

“It’d hardly be ourselves.” Loki pointed out. “I’ll give you more people would help, especially given the whole ‘hardly at full strength’ issue, but it’s not worth the risk.”

“Why?” Steve asked. “They might sell us out to the police? I’m not suggesting we start broadcasting our other occasional ‘night time activities’ to them, just get more man power there to stop being booted out.”

“It hardly requires someone of my calibre brain to work out that we’re wanted, and even you have to agree that I hardly blend in around here. We can’t afford to attract attention. And we can’t afford to let anyone else in. At all.” Loki screamed.

“Oh.” Steve breathed, seeing the issue suddenly. “I can,” Steve paused for a moment, “I can see how the idea of trusting anyone would worry you. It worries me a bit, but I’m not about to take off. I think we work well as a partnership, and –“ Steve edited his speech slightly, “And you’re a friend. Having more people’s names we knew wouldn’t change that.”

“I’m blue.” Loki said.

“And I’m male. Perhaps our most distinctive traits, but not our defining ones.” Steve said simply. “Start small, we’re going to have to be on the streets for a while anyway. If we keep a track of people we meet, maybe they’ll help us with the push.”

“No,” Loki stated “We’d need specific help to get Hammer out of our Warehouse. You know the help. And we cannot trust them and I will not, ever, humiliate myself in such a way to ask for…”

“Loki,” Steve interrupted, placing his hand on Loki’s shoulder.

Loki snarled.

“I am not suggesting that we ask any of that lot for help.” Steve removed his hand. “I’m suggesting that if there were more than two of us then we might, just might, be able to keep the Warehouse. Hammer won’t be our only threat.”

“Fine.” Loki snapped. “Are we going to get out of here or not?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter is 90% written, and I will remember that this exists this time *Promise*


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki and Steve come up with a plan, and a new character emerges, who may, or may not help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are no spoilers for Daredevil in this series. And Jessica Jones is not making an appearance at all. I just examined my plot and realized that Daredevil made a LOT more sense than the original plan...

They heard the scream not ten minutes later. to their joint credit neither of them hesitated before breaking into a sprint towards the source of the noise. Loki flipped his biggest knife as he rounded the corner of the alley, half a breath after Steve. 

 

“Now, now fellas I don’t want to fight.” Steve said, clearly emitting the opposite aura. 

 

Three out of the four thugs in the alley glanced up, allowing Loki a look at their victim who was trembling behind them. The guy was petrified.

 

“Scram.” Thug One grunted. 

 

“Oh good,” Loki said cheerfully, “Because, unlike my college here, I did really fancy a fight.” He twisted one of the smaller knives out from his sleeve and flung it at the Thug’s face. 

 

He went down with a very solid thud. 

 

The other three guys rushed as one, only to be dispatched by a rapid series of punches from Steve and a couple of slashes from Loki. 

 

Then Steve approached the guy who was still cowering in the corner. 

 

“Hey, it’s okay, you can go home now. We’re not going to hurt you.” 

 

The guy moved slightly betraying just how young he was. 

 

“Jesus,” Steve mumbled.

 

“Thanks,” the boy said. “I thought I was a gonna like all those others.” He shook himself. “OH! you’re them.”

 

“Them?” Loki asked, then decided to change tack.“What others? How long have people been disappearing?”

 

“Months, arguably years, but really the last six. Everyone knows someone on the streets who’s gone missing. Sorry. Shouldn’t have said. Excuse me.” The kid darted past them and into the main street, leaving the alley empty, and oddly haunted.

 

“Six months.” Steve said with a hollow tone in his voice. “Hundreds, if not thousands of people have disappeared over six months and I didn’t even know. I’m supposed to be- well I guess I’m not anymore am I?”

 

Loki didn’t say anything.

"Loki," Steve said a moment later "We have to help, or rather I have to help. I know it's not what you signed up for, and I know it's not Chaotic or evil but I- I can't leave people like that. I'm sorry, I have to help them, I can try and stay in this as much as I can, or you can consider this my notice I- well I guess that's up to you. But-" Steve paused for a moment, letting out a deep sigh. "I  can't pretend not to care anymore, I'm sorry."    
  
Loki slumped there for a moment, silent. He looked at the cracks in the tarmac then looked Steve straight in the eye "I know. I think I was waiting for this to happen.  But if we-" Loki stopped himself "If these people are to be helped they will need somewhere to stay, and our old warehouse is still the best bet. So that needs to be taken back from Hammer and his cronies and revenge, oh revenge I am more than happy to help with. So I'll help you take our home back yes Steve, after that-" The momentum that Loki seemed to have gained slumped out of him "I guess after that we will see."    
  
"Yeah," Steve held out his hand to Loki and helped him up with a smile "I guess we will."    
  
"You got a plan?" Loki asked   
  
"Nope, you?" Steve said   
  
"Kinda, the way I see it is we need three things, Hammer out, the Avengers off our back and a way to let people know the Warehouse is ours."    
  
"That makes sense. What were you thinking? " Steve asked "Because I think using explosives on the Warehouse negates its usefulness."    
  
"Hey, you do have a brain . No, I was, strangely enough thinking of asking for help. You ever run into Daredevil in your time?"    
  
"No," Steve said," But I don't normally go into Hell's Kitchen. You think he'd help?"    
  
"I think he wants Hammer off the streets and away from this city as much as us, or the Avengers, and I think he may know more shady hoods"    
  
Steve snorted "Is that what we're calling it these days"    
  
Loki gave him a look.    
  
"Fair enough, it's a good idea given he's likely to know people and less likely to shoot us than others." Steve said.    
  
"Distaste for guns?" Loki asked    
  
Steve shrugged. "He used to only use batons mainly. He certainly dislikes killing."    
  
Loki shrugged. He was unsure whether to be distasteful of the weakness of spirit , or admiring at the discipline. "Other than that we need the authority's interest elsewhere  and the ability to keep the Warehouse.  Oh and the Black Widow willing to leave us alone. And all this relies on Daredevil drawing Hammer elsewhere."    
  
"So why don't we ask him."    


* * *

  
  
The rooftop in Hell's Kitchen had a biting wind. Only one of its two occupants noticed it, and neither of them cared.    
  
"I don't think he's coming." Steve said a moment later.   
  
"Give him time. He has busy nights." Loki murmured.  " and we will be last priority."   
  
It was another hour before they heard a loud cough behind them.    
  
"Gentlemen,"   
  
"Daredevil," Steve said, as they turned around to face him.   
  
The figure nodded, "There's been a sharp rise in the number of homeless folks with designer jackets recently. Then I heard you were looking for me."    
  
"We were."  Steve said, taking a step forward.  "Justin Hammer is back on the streets. "    
  
"I heard. Not my problem."    
  
"No, not in itself," Loki didn't move "but he's buying warehouse space all over this city, including in Hell's Kitchen. And real estate issues may not be your problem either, but the army of goons he's hiring and contacts in the Russian Mob are."    
  
"Why come to me, and not the police, or your old friends."    
  
"You think they'd listen to me." Loki said simply. "And he's not a lot better off."    
  
"Fair enough." Daredevil said. "What's your interest?"    
  
Loki shrugged, "He stole our Warehouse. Call it revenge on my half and justice on his."    
  
"I have no interest in helping out revenge."    
"No," Steve said, "I don't suppose you have, but that doesn't change the fact that, unless I'm wrong, you want Hammer off the streets."    
  
There was a beat in which you could practically hear the words "You're not wrong" before Daredevil actually spoke.    
  
"What is your current plan of action?"

 

That wasn't a guarantee of help, but it was more promising than anything else they'd had so far.    
  
"Well," Loki took a deep breath, and began to explain.    
  
Once he'd finished there was a moment or two before Daredevil spoke. "Meet me tomorrow. I'll let you know." Then, before giving them anytime to respond he lept off the roof and ran away.    
  
"That didn't go too badly." Steve offered. "Do you think he'll help?"    
  
"I think he'll think about it. There's a good chance he'll do something, that he'll agree to m- to our plan," Loki shrugged "No, probably not. But we asked, and now we see what he decides. If there's an ambush waiting for us tomorrow, then we  know."    
  
Steve refrained from asking if he was always this pessimistic. The answer wasn't one he wanted.    
  
"In the meantime I suggest that we see if we can acquire some of the items we'll need."    
  
"Still afraid of the criminal element of this Steve?" Loki asked jokingly    
  
"My friend, you really have got to stop believing all that propaganda. Merely the idea that something will go horribly wrong." Steve said then added, "Dammit,  I've just jinxed it now haven't I?"    
  
"Actually a jinx is really quite difficult to obtain as it involves irritating a very powerful magic user to the extent they no longer just want to take revenge, but that they wish the revenge to be carried out even when they can no longer personally deliver it. " Loki said, then noticed Steve's mildly interested,  but ultimately bemused expression. "Phrase of wording?"    
  
"Uhhuh." Steve muttered. ""Come on,  let's go get some explosives."    
  
"You sound so enthusiastic."    
  
"Well you're the Chaotic one. And given stealing explosive material is going to set off a few alarms shouldn't we do that last?"    
  
"That's why we're not just stealing explosive material." Loki grinned, "Come on, it's a long way to the garden center.”   
  
By the time they got there in fact they had barely three hours before the first staff would be on site. As Loki said, it would have to be enough."    
  
They got the nitrogen heavy fertilizer first,  and then:    
  
Well they moved the pot plants first, exchanging them with the saplings, then they spread the remaining packets of fertilizer around the center, and put a few dozen statues where the compost was.  After a little more 'creating rearranging' during which Loki stole a large pair of wire cutters and some twine.    
  
Then they ran, out the back with several sacks over their shoulders. After all, they still had a few hours until most things opened. Incredibly pretentious garden centers just had bizarrely long staff hours.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank-you for reading. Comments and Kudos are rewarded by getting given a stolen jacket by Loki and Steve.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the plan begins to come together Steve and Loki begin to spot the holes in it, and plan afterwards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the wait?

The second meeting with Daredevil didn’t take nearly as log to set up, or indeed to complete. In fact Loki and Steve had barely stood on top of the second tallest building in hell’s kitchen before they were joined by the Superhero.

“I’ll help.” Daredevil said, “But, I have conditions.”

That was not unexpected. Steve had conditions for their plan. Hell, Loki had conditions. In was only expected that Daredevil would do.

“First. We’re not killing anyone.”

Steve nodded. He tried to avoid that anyway.

“Second, if this wall goes south I will deny any knowledge of this in court, and you will the same. Legally, we do not cooperate at all. I was going after evidence of a known violent man and dangerous criminal the Avengers have faced before, and had no idea that he had any connection to you. You thought I was just a rumour and were taking your own steps to preserve what you viewed as your own property. Also, your current plan won’t work. You have no way of controlling anyone else’s involvement other than hoping for the best, waiting for the next crisis or not. You need to belay law enforcement, SHIELD, other agencies and the Avengers for the entire duration of the attack. Even if the fight is on the west coast you’ve got no guarantee that any of the local forces will be sufficiently distracted by the news not to act. This is not going to be quiet.”

“What are you suggesting?” Loki asked coldly. He didn’t like having his plans criticised.

“A few small adjustments, the idea that I quietly get Hammer to incriminate himself would work if all we were trying to do was put him away, but there’s more than enough evidence out there if you retrieve it that we can attach to him without needing an interrogation.”

“Then we can use Hammer as the distraction.” Loki finished. “I don’t suppose you have a starting point for us?”

“You need some equipment.” Daredevil said, then flipped off the roof onto the darkened streets below.

“I’m beginning to really hate it when he does that.” Steve said glancing at the disappearing figure. “Do you think we’ve got time to check it out tonight?”

Loki frowned. “No. I’d rather do some daytime surveillance first. And hit that tech place.”

“Surveillance equipment.” Steve said. “Yeah, we could do. It wouldn’t hurt to have something capable of reaching the internet. Can’t take too much though, that stuff tends to be tagged.”

Loki shrugged. “I’m sure we can deal with such petty anti-thievery methods.”

Steve smiled, “Better not steal a Starkpad then, or a Hammerpad come to think of it, although...”

“That does have a certain delicious type of irony?” Loki grinned. “Mind you if the computer we found the other day was any indication, we really don’t want one.”

“To be honest,” Steve hurried over to the opposite edge of the building. “I’m not sure he’s even got a model out.” Then Steve broke into a run and leapt across the gap between the two buildings rolling as he landed six stories down. “Coming?” he yelled up.

Loki rolled his eyes at his friend’s antics, then had a moment of panic that he just referred to Steve mentally as his friend. But just a moment’s. The he too took a running leap across the gap, rolling into a crouching position next to Steve. “I have had nearly a thousand years more practice than you.”

“But how many of those were leaping from tall building to tall building?” Steve asked, then leapt the next gap.

“More than you think,” Loki joined him. “You’ve never seen Asgard.”

“Look a lot like New York does it?” Steve slipped over the next rooftop and pulled himself onto the fire escape.

“Only in two respects.” Loki jumped onto the floor above the one Steve was on.

“One, a lot of tall buildings?” Steve grinned, catching up.

“And Two, a lot of jerks, who think they’re better at Sky Running than me!” Loki moved so quickly Steve was sure that if his eyesight wasn’t as good as it had been made he’d have missed it.

By the time he’d caught up Loki was sitting cross-legged in the middle of their destination roof. All Steve could do was laugh. “We should do that more often. Daredevil was a point about it being the best mode of travel.”

“Silly name though.” Loki said standing up.

“What Parkour?” Steve said.

“Daredevil.” Loki said light-heartedly. “I mean is he the Devil who Dares, the daring Devil, the man who dares to be the Devil?”

“And if you’re taking it as its meaning ‘man who does ridiculous feats fearlessly’ it’s me that keeps leaping out of planes without a parachute.”

“You are a Super soldier though,” Loki pointed out.

“Eh, True,” Steve acknowledged. “Are we going to ah, ‘liberate’, this stuff or not then?”

“I thought the roof would be the best starting point, no-one ever expects an attack from the roof.”

“That’s partly because, unless there’s a skylight or actual roof access, it’s very difficult to get in through the roof when there’s a window right there.” Steve said.

“Oh yea of little faith.” Loki said quietly. “Now shush, I need to concentrate. Then Loki removed his shoes and began lightly sweeping the roof with his feet. Then he stopped and jumped a few times landing on his toes with barely a whisper. Then Loki crouched and ran his hands over the same area, before looking up, pointing at his shoes, then Steve, and beckoned.

Steve got the hint, picked up Loki’s shoes, and hurried over. “What did you find?” Steve whispered.

“Shush,” Loki mouthed, then held out his hand for his shoes, which Steve handed to him, a little puzzled.

Loki then removed a very thin blade, one Steve had never seen him use before, and began scraping at the surface. A few moments later he’d scraped off most of the covering to reveal a metal plate. Then, carefully, he slowly removed a layer of metal from around the plate, exposing the fact it had been screwed in place.

At this point Steve took over the unscrewing of the plate, using a screwdriver that Loki had also procured and placed upon his person. Then Steve pulled at the plate, and lifted it off.

This revealed a gap, at the bottom of which looked to be top of ceiling panels. Loki tapped it out of place, pulling it up onto the roof again. “Give me a minute, dear Captain,” he said, and pulled himself inside the building. Steve scowled, annoyed at the name, and at being told to stay back. He made to follow, then realised he couldn’t see Loki anywhere inside, through the admittedly small window into the tech store.

A period of time, much longer than a minute, passed before Loki finally appeared underneath the new skylight. “Okay, I’ll pass you the things up.”

Steve reluctantly leant down and received the items, one at a time, outing them next to him. “You sure you got the right ones?”

“I may be evil, but I am a genius. I can read model numbers and brand names, the same as you.” Loki called up, passing the last item. “Okay, give me a hand.”

Steve pulled the frost giant out with a little effort and put the metal plate back where it came from.

“What-oh” Loki said, seeing what he was doing. “I doubt we’ll need to get in again, and we’ll never hide the entrance point completely, we can’t put back the covering.”

“True,” Steve said, “I just thought it shouldn’t get rained on.”

Loki shook his head, and picked up a few of the items. “Come on then, you soft hearted oaf.”

“Who are you calling oaf, you’re the Viking, Viking.”

“Worshipped by them, not one of them, old man,” Loki leapt off the building, heading back the way they’d come.

“I thought we’d established you were much older than me,” Steve said, catching up. “Where are you heading anyway.”

“Oh yeah,” Loki stopped. “I’d forgotten we couldn’t go back to the Warehouse. Any ideas, you know this city better than I do?”

“Not by much these days,” Steve said. “I don’t think a library would be a good idea somehow. We could find a quitter corner of the park?”

“Is there a quieter corner of the park?” Loki asked.

“If you’re happy in woods then yes, certainly at this time.”

Okay then,” Loki kicked off towards central park, Steve only half a step behind him.

 

It was somewhat unusual for Steve Rogers to find himself up a tree these days. It was also inconvenient, and he wasn’t quite sure why Loki was being so paranoid. But he was, and Steve couldn’t argue that they wouldn’t be found if people were looking for them. He couldn’t even argue that it would be hard. So he was sat in a tree. His only friend, a semi-ex-supervillain who he shouldn’t trust, was sitting on the branch of the tree above him, muttering.

“Why do they have to make these things so hard to assemble. It’s a proximity alarm, not a continent bomb.”

“I get the feeling I don’t want to know what one of those is.” Steve said, fiddling around. “I think these are gonna work, and they shouldn’t be tracked, ‘cause no-one knows we’ve got ‘em, but still.”   


“I wasn’t going to download Facebook and start tweeting about our location everywhere you know.” Loki took the offered mobile phone.

“What’d your username be?”” Steve joked, “Winter_is_Coming?”

Loki rolled his eyes “How about Bow_Mortals?”

“Rocking_Golden_Horns?”

“Ha,” Loki smiled, “What about you? Too_Patriotic_For_Good?”

“SHIELD_come_and_get_me”

“Now that’d suit both of us.” Loki commented. “RednWhitenBlacknBlue”

“Ooh, I don’t get beat up THAT often!” Steve said.

Loki looked at him sceptically.

“I said that often not, not at all.” Steve defended himself.

“Regardless,” Loki said, in a voice that made it clear he still disagreed. “I doubt it’s a good idea.”

“Yes, well.” Steve said. “You made any progress with the proximity alarm yet?”

“That’s done at least. Why are we the ones dealing with all the tedious elements?” Loki said dryly.

“Because it’s our plan, and he’s helping. Also, he probably has a day job.” Steve told him.

“As what, a boxer?” Loki said.

“I wouldn’t be surprised.” Steve tumbled out of the tree. “Come on, we’ve got a very limited time frame and places to be before nightfall.”

“I don’t get what your species obsession is with doing things after dark.” Loki slipped down from his branch. “But very well Cap-“ He stopped himself, “Very well Steve, it is prudent to get going I suppose.”

They started to wonder out of the park, the tech bits stuffed into various pockets. “It does occur to me.” Loki murmured as they passed a large group of people.

“Yes,”

“That there’s a giant flaw in this plan of ours.”

“Other than hoping that they simply ignore the Warehouse?” Steve said.

“Make that two giant holes in our plan.” Loki said.

“What’s the other one?” The super-soldier asked.

“A spider friend of yours.” The frost giant pointed out.

“Ah.” Steve understood. “Yes, she knows.” Well that was inconvenient, he thought ducking to avoid a camera, a motion that was second nature to him by now. “So we can’t go back there. Probably ever.” He considered it for a moment. “Still want to get revenge?”

“Fuck yes.” Loki declared. “But we need a new place.”

“And not the bus shelter. Or Natasha’s ex-safe house. Which leaves me at an end. You seen anywhere?”

“You were the one who spotted the Warehouse.” Loki pointed out. Then he considered for a moment. “I know a spot of unused land, but I don’t know if it’ll be any good. And I don’t want to go there until we’re sure we’re clear.”

“Fair enough. We’ll keep it in mind then.” Steve said. “Now, don’t have a mob to infiltrate?”

“That we do,” Loki agreed. “That we do.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Usual spool about Comments/ Kudos. Seriously they do make any author's day, especially on older fic.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fuming at Hammer's requisition of their home (well warehouse) as well as his numerous human rights violations, his ties with the Irish Mob, and his personality, Steve and Loki continue their plot with Daredevil to take the man down.

The city was cold, the wind was biting, the fire escape unnecessary, and Steve Rogers wished he was practically anywhere else.

As if somehow sensing his thoughts Loki raised an eyebrow at him. “Try Jotenheilm. This actually feels like a reasonable temperature.” He whispered.

Nevertheless the fire escape was not a pleasant place to be for either of them.

“It’s alright for some,” Steve muttered, wishing that he could have brought his coat. “You’re already blue.”

“Shush,” Loki pointed towards the edge of the street below.

He was right of course, there was a slow rumbling convey of trucks approaching. Loki pressed his hands to the railings.

Steve held up his hand. One, two.

The trucks rolled ever nearer.

Three, four,

He swung onto the ladder.

Five, Six,

Steve took one last look at Loki, glanced at the sky, then said: “Seven”

Loki pushed himself off from the banisters summersaulting over the rail and tumbling onto the truck below. The moment he landed with an almighty clang he rolled, pulling the knives out of his boots.

He paused.

Only the sound of the engine remained as he crouched, trying to see if he’d been noticed. Or if Steve had made it down. The engine died.

Shit.

The door at the end of the truck opened. Slowly, as if he was expecting it to get bitten off, a man poked his head out. He yelled a couple of expletives then swung around to climb onto the top of the van, leaving the door swinging. “Ruddy aircon units. Always falling off. I’ve told people a million times, don’t buy the duds, save up and get a good set fitted, but no, they just think I’m trying to sell them protection. People can’t listen to save their lives.”

Loki waited until the thug was completely on top of the van before throwing the knife at him. He dodged.

Clearly the man had more training than your average useless bit, but that didn’t matter. Loki had, after all, brought quite a few more knives, and some extra ‘accessories’ just in case.  Steve and the so called Daredevil might have rules, but he, well… Loki was far from the mood for a screaming match. He slipped the garrotte out of his sleeve.

The thug dove at him blindly, the lack of streetlights clearly an impediment. It was no problem for Loki who instead tumbled over him turning as he did. He slipped the garrotte around his throat.

Come on, come on.

He struggled for far longer than Loki would have liked, but eventually, oh so eventually he want down. Loki laid his body down on top of the truck, then glanced down.

The door was still open.

There was a loud thump from inside.

And there was the plan, actually working for once.

Now Loki had to do his bit.

Staying close to the roof Loki crept forwards until he was practically level with the windshield. The truck turned, leaving even the edges of the big city behind, and went out onto the road they wanted. It was such a shame that trucks were so unreliable on twisty roads wasn’t it. At least they were when they were surprised. Carefully which way it was pointed Loki activated his torch, and attached it to his collar.

He shot forward, and hung down over the windshield, waving his knife at the people inside grinning.

The carefully trained, highly trusted agent screamed, letting go of the wheel and floundering desperately.

Then Steve stepped out of the shadows and leant through the open door, knocking the agent’s head towards the steering wheel, and the thug out cold. Loki pulled himself back onto the top of the vehicle, then jumped off the top in time to see Steve put the roll of tape back in his pocket, turn the key, and jump off just as the truck started to accelerate, rolling into the mud.

Eugh: dirt.

Loki stood upright and brushed the much off his clothes. Steve scrambled up after him, a backpack in his arms, filled to the brim.

“Just an accident, nothing to see here Officer,” Steve said with a grin.

“They aren’t going to know what hit them.” Loki agreed.

And so the plot began. They weren’t trying to infiltrate the mob itself of course. While possibly technically easier in theory it was firmly not an option for Loki. While Steve possibly could have blended in and worked his way up, he had neither the temperament nor the time to do so.

Instead the aim was to simply infiltrate the building, and find the evidence within, part of the reason they’d had to raid such a high grade tech store. While the men Hammer had been dealing with, the remains of the Irish mob, were neither the best equipped nor the most intelligent, it was beyond either Steve or Loki’s familiarity with computers to hack in on their own skill. But letting the software do it for them? That they could do. That, even they, could do.

It was with an oddly heavy heart that Steve set off towards the pub that the Irish were using as their main front. New York had changed a lot since he was young, but the maggia? Only so far as to modernise in weapons and crime. Needless to say, he didn’t have the best memories of them.

But at least there was no way he’d be recognised by the casual observer. And even if he was, it was hardly like he was doing anything wrong, this time.

All Steve needed was to scope out the basic security features, until they could come back later, with Daredevil. In theory that should be easy enough, in practice- Well, Steve had a feeling that Loki might have done a better job, blue skin or not.

“Hello,” He said quietly, then cleared his throat. “Oi Matey!” He let his original, and usually forgotten, Brooklynn and Irish mixed accent come out.

“Oi Matey yourself,” The guard on duty yelled back in a much thicker Irish broad. He turned towards Steve, showing the large gouge down the side of his face. “You got something for the Boss?”

“Pft, what else?” Steve crossed the road, just dodging a car. Easy enough so far, now he had to hope that the passcodes Daredevil had gotten were correct. Hopefully. “Not sure why though,”

“Hah,” The guard said, flicking something around in his pocket. Steve really, really hoped it was his keys.

“Yeah, I mean here’s me, sent with the finest fake Florentine leather.” Steve shrugged, hoping the backpack he had slung over his shoulder was good enough bait. After all, it was the right backpack.

The guard gave a satisfied grunt. “Good to know you lot still got the goods, we heard about the truck.”

Steve shrugged, hoping to covey the right amount of ‘yeah it happens’ and ‘no problem’.

The man grunted, seemingly amused and nodded behind him. “Go on in then, they’re expecting you.”

“Cheers,” Steve stepped past him, fighting the impulse to look back. He was on his own for this one. Loki was too distinctive. Daredevil didn’t work during the day.

In and out, that’s all he had to do, get in and get out. He was meant to be there, he had a delivery. He was meant to be here. Now only if he could convince everybody else, he’d be alright.

What were the chances of that?

Two streets away Loki was waiting with baited breath. It was alarming how much of their plan relied upon this one, very delicate, operation. If Steve couldn’t get in, or if he was discovered, or even if what he got was too time sensitive. Loki really did not like having no back-up plan.

Well, not much of one anyway. The half formed thought in the back of his mind was barely worth counting. It was more than his- than Thor ever managed anyway.

Loki sighed, fighting the urge to pace. There was barely room on the small terrace he was watching from anyway, and he’d always hated the habit in others. One knife in his boot, one knife in his other boot. Two in each of his pockets, three strapped to his belt, and another one to his back, the sheaf carefully in place. He could cope. There were plans.

BOOOOM!

There was a huge echo followed by the sounds of shattered glass. Loki’s head shot up and looked around instinctively before hauling himself onto the roof and sprinting over, jumping onto the next apartment block, scrambling around just in time to see a familiar figure dash away from the now destroyed mob headquarters.

Thank Chance. Or more likely, Loki considered, thank super serum.

He leapt downwards rolling next to the sprinting figure, and upright, joining him on the run. “So, did you actually get anything, or were you just meaninglessly destructive.”

“I got stuff,” Steve said, the remains of his shirt flapping off his back. “But I think they might have noticed me.”

“You don’t say.” Loki said, rolling his eyes. Well, at least having half of the Irish Mob after them was more exciting than their day to day lives.

They turned the corner, pelting down another street, more residential this time, and slightly higher class, although not by a lot. A figure blocked their path. Tall, with her hair up in a high ponytail and two scars across her forehead in the shape of an X. She pointed a very large gun at them. It had a slight blue glow.

“Why don’t you stop right there.” She drawled in an Irish brogue so thick it took Loki a moment to understand here.

“Sorry, no.” Loki flashed, throwing one of his knives squarely at her chest. She batted it aside.

“Aw, I was so hoping you’d come quietly.” She hoisted the gun up to their eyelevel. “Any last words?”

Loki glanced at Steve, then the ground, then the air. Were he welcome in Asgard that would have been too good to resist. As it was…

Steve gave the tiniest nod.

Loki threw the other knife from his boot. It bounced off her forehead.

Well that was a problem.

And one he didn’t have time to think about. Loki dived forward towards her, flipping one of the longer knives out as he did so. She had scars, she had some weaknesses. It was just a matter of finding them.

As if stuck with the same thought Steve rushed forward staying low of a pulse of blue energy that the gun let off as he rushed at their attacker and kneed straight down below her stomach.

She let off a yell of pain.

Some progress at least.

As Steve punched repeatedly at her, trying to make any lasting impact, Loki swung behind her, spotting a small octopus on her left shoulder. Well, the emblem of one anyway. It made for as good a target as anything as Loki flipped out his longest dagger and plunged it deep into her shoulder, twisting it a little.

The enforcer crumpled, falling to her knees as it was matched almost perfectly by a sharp jab just below the ribs. She let out another yell. Only the second sound she’d made since the fight began.

“Come on,” Loki yelled, sprinting down the road and past the enforcer. They had to get up onto the roofs, maybe then they’d get away.

A moment later Steve joined him, hauling himself up the nearest fire escape and onto the low lying roof of the nearest apartment building.

“Come out,” A voice sounded from close behind him. Loki jumped, just about catching the second floor balcony. He crept backwards, hoping, just hoping that the shadow would conceal him.

The scarred enforcer rounded the corner, the knife still embedded in her shoulder.

One pace, two paces. All Loki had to do was not be seen. And to make sure Steve wasn’t seen. He missed his magic. The enforcer walked forward more, swinging the blue gun, left and right, pointing it randomly into the shadows.

Three paces, four paces, five paces. Loki crouched down and pulled as much of his coat around him as he could. It had to be less distinctive.

Six paces, Seven, Eight, Nine. The she pointed the gun above Loki’s head.

He held his breath.

.

Come on.

.

.

.

The enforcer swung the gun in the opposite direction and took another step forward, then another continuing to swing the gun as she walked down the rest of the street. He let out a sigh of relief.

Steve dropped down onto the balcony. “Close one.”

Loki nodded, for once in no mood to banter. He knew neither of them were in as good shape as they had been at their peak, but the enforcer should have stayed down. They’d hit her hard enough.

“Was it worth it?” He asked instead.

Steve pulled three things out of his pockets. A small rectangular computer chip, a small gold clover, and a small model of the same octopus that had been on the enforcer’s shoulder. “You tell me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 1 of 2 of the update


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plan comes to a close, but in their rush, have they been a little two reckless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is part 2 of the update

It took them until the middle of the night to get back to where they’d stashed their stuff, and to be able to load up the computer drive.

“Well,” Steve said, trying to see around Loki’s head to the computer screen. “What have we got?” It could be anything. It could be detailed plans of the mob’s entire operation, it could be a roster of their personnel to their lunch orders, or, worst case scenario: it was completely blank.

“Well,” Loki said, flipping through some things Steve couldn’t quite see, “It’s not blank, but it’s hardly ideal.” He turned the laptop so that Steve could see.  

“Ah,”

“It doesn’t seem ideal, we’d never convict by it.” Loki said, watching Steve go through the information.

“No,” Steve said eventually, sitting back from the laptop. Thank the City for free charge points. “It doesn’t really seem enough to put him away. Except-“Steve thought for a minute, “No.”

“Except…” Loki picked up the trail.

“This is definitely illegal, and given why he was put away last time, I can’t help but wonder if his parole came with certain conditions.” Steve said, looking at the detailed personnel roster for Stark Industries. “Plus, this would so make it personal.”

“And what we really want is the Avengers to come full might down on Hammer.” Loki smiled, the vicious curling smile of victory. Of course what he wanted, and he suspected Steve did to, was to beat the crap out of Hammer themselves. But unless Steve was willing to compromise on the whole killing thing again, there wasn’t a huge amount they could do on that front. “Shall we go and tell Daredevil then?”

Steve closed the laptop ejecting the drive. “Lets.”

Daredevil was not overly happy that the damming evidence that would bring Justin Hammer and the remains of the New York Irish Mob to its knees was industrial espionage. If, fairly brutal industrial espionage.

But there was nothing else. There was clearly nothing else. All there was left to do, was to stock up on knives for Loki, he really needed to stop throwing them when he couldn’t collect them, and for some last minute prep.  

All of which meant that when Steve spotted a figure in a familiar stripped hoodie tailing him down the side streets he should have run, not turned around and sighed. “Natasha.”

Natasha dropped the hood. “Heya Steve. Nice hair.”

“Are you going to drop it?” Steve asked, irritated less because of the comment, and more because of her presence.

Natasha considered it for a moment. “Nope.” She smiled, terrifying, but not particularly predatory.  

Steve frowned at her.

She let the smile drop. “Loki really?”

Steve shrugged “Partnership of opportunity. We get on well.”

“I suppose it was you who broke him out of SHIELD then?”

“You could suppose.” Steve said.

Natasha sighed. “Dammit Steve! Do you realise how hard it is to try and cover your back when you do that kind of thing. Let alone what you’re doing now?”

“What?” Steve smiled, wide and fake and ever so obviously teed off. “Walking, talking to you?”

“You know what I meant.” Natasha sighed. “I don’t suppose you’d tell me what you are working on now? Is it illegal?”

“It’s not immoral.” Steve said.

“Steve?”

If- oh dammit. If Steve told her it could backfire horribly. If Steve didn’t tell her she could follow him around until the end of time, or at least the next big mission. Which was way too late. If Steve tried to lie she’d see right through it and it would be back to option two. Which left telling her, or telling her something. “He got our home. He’s in bed with the Irish Mob and we’re planning on leaving him alive.”

“Hammer.” Natasha guessed summarily. “Of course. You could have stayed at the ex-safe house, it wasn’t bugged. Well, not by SHIELD or Stark anyway.”

“So you say.” Steve said.

“So I say.” Natasha sobered up. “I guess I can’t blame you for not trusting me. After all, we didn’t trust you.”

“No.” Steve said. “You didn’t. You didn’t trust yourself either.”

“Maybe we are now.” She said.

“Maybe its three years too late. Maybe you were so wrapped up in the idea that you were doing the right thing that you never stopped to consider whether or not you actually were.”

“Maybe.” She glanced down for a moment. “Maybe you jumped too quickly and never got the whole picture.”

“You’re here.” He pointed out.

“We’re friends.”

“Were.” Steve was itching to move. He didn’t like just standing here. “Were friends.”

She wasn’t idealist enough to ask him to come home. She was far from naive enough to think that he’d come. Instead she nodded and leapt off the rooftop. She’d see the arrest made, if nothing else.

Steve watched her retreating back. Something was up. Something had to be up. He checked as well as he could to see whether he had any tracking devices. Couldn’t hear any, couldn’t feel any. Didn’t meant they weren’t there.  

Well, they’d have to work it out before tonight anyhow.

Steve dropped off the roof and into the small space between buildings that he and Loki had been hiding up in. The planning was bad enough that it was enclosed fully on three sides, and there was only a narrow opening on the fourth. Enough shelter for a few hours, as long as the weather held.

Steve tossed him the pack of knives.

Loki tested the weight of them, one by one. “You got throwing knives.”

“I thought they might come in handy, given-“ Steve left the end implied, instead sitting on a upended crate.

“Thanks.” Loki said. Then he added. “It’s nearly time to get moving.”

“Right.” Steve stood up again. “If this goes badly-“

Loki frowned at him, distorting the lines on his face.

“I was just going to say I’m not sorry we bumped into each other.” Steve finished, allaying any fears Loki might have had of overreaching sentiment.

He still rolled his eyes, before begrudgingly admitting: “I’m not sorry we bumped into each other either. Although I do miss the peace and quiet.”

“Right.” Steve said.

“Right.” Loki said. “Let’s get going then.”

They crossed the city with minimal communication. A nudge here, a suggestion to try a certain direction there. Nothing more than what was absolutely necessary.

They arrived outside the offices just on time. The last hour of the longest shift of the guards.

They had the evidence. Now they just needed to plant it. Because real or not, no task force in the city would have got to it at the mob headquarters.

One sat on the fire-escape across from the building’s window cleaning trolley. The other, milling on the street.

The clock turned past the hour.

Showtime.

Steve straightened his jacket, and stood upright, then mimicked his best possible confused expression. He crossed the street, and entered the twenty-four seven lobby.

“Excuse me, sir?”

“Yes?” The guard sighed looking up. “What can I do for you Mr-“

“O‘Neil.” Steve said, “Sorry, I seem to be very lost. You see I was out with me mates, bite to eat, thing to drink, you know, the usual stuff. And we found this funny looking scorch mark. Now I said to my mate, this is New York, you had that whole space whale invasion thing a while back, and you got that Devil freak, and the other guys, plus the whole big wigs. Anyway, as I said, if New York has a weird scorch mark, New York has the right to a weird scorch mark, you get me? But hey, they weren’t listening to me, so despite my best efforts-“

Steve continued on in his spiel, managing to be just distracting enough that the guard didn’t throw him out onto the street. Loki grinned at him behind the guard’s back, then pointed towards the desk.

Right.

“So anyways, after that whole thing with the cow and the Russian I was stuck at the crossroad- literally, not metaphorically, I know what I’m doing, except I don’t , not really, anyways then I saw the light –of your building, and I was wondering?”

“Huh?” the guard seemed startled that their input was needed. “Yes?”

“Could you help me? I am incredibly lost, literally, not metaphorically. Well maybe a little there too, but hey, that’s definitely not your job to sort out.”

“Where do you want to go?”

Steve named a hotel the other side of the city.

“Right…” The guard scratched their head. “I’m going to need a map for that one.” They walked back round to their desk and opened up the map on their browser. Steve followed them and stood behind, leaning over and asking just enough questions that the guard didn’t notice the remote control jammer he placed under the desk.

“kay, thanks mate.”

“You’re welcome.” The guard seemed only too happy to see him out the door. Not that Steve could blame him.

He stumbled across the road and hopefully out of sight of the windows, and the security cameras.

Loki was leaning against the wall. “Is it in place?”

“Got the remote?”

Loki waved it at him. “We could have set this on a timer you know?”

“You’ll have to put up with the technology being so primitive.” Steve sighed.

Loki rolled his eyes. “Are you ready or not?”

“Unfortunate phrasing.” Daredevil’s voice came out of seemingly nowhere, until they looked up. “Do you have the package?”

Loki passed the backpack to Steve, who dug through it, well picked the item out of the top, and passed the hard drive up to Daredevil.

“You won’t see me again.” And the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen disappeared into the shadows of the night, somewhere south of Brooklynn.

“He’s a little melodramatic.” Loki said.

Steve stared at him for a moment, then gave up. “Is that it?”

“Get the evidence, plant the evidence, watch Hammer get arrested and then find a new place to live?” Loki summed up.

“We lucked out on the warehouse last time.” Steve frowned. “Empty property in reasonable shape in New York.”

“You called that reasonable shape?” Loki thought back to just how bad the warehouse had been.

“It was weatherproof.”

“Apart from the hole in the roof.” Loki stood upright. “Are we standing around for a reason?”

Glancing back towards the building, then giving up, Steve sighed. “I guess not. We could hope it doesn’t rain?”

Loki glanced up at the dark clouds in the sky. “Yeah, that works.”

Steve followed his gaze. “Point.”  He took one last glance towards Hammertech headquarters then started walking away. Loki matched him step for step.

“Do you think it’s worth hitting one of their stores tonight?”

“Given their products?” Steve snorted.

They looked at each other.

“Well, it’s not like security is going to be any good.”

They shared a brief grin before breaking into a light jog.

_

The next morning Steve swiped a newspaper off a doorstep before jogging into the park.

Loki greeted him from underneath a tree. “Did it work?”

Steve tossed him the paper. The headline read:

“JUSTIN JAILED AGAIN” with a lovely large picture of a cuffed Justin Hammer swearing up a storm. Loki grinned then read noticed the CCTV still beside it, and the subheading:

“EX-AVENGER INVOLVED?”

Because there it was, clear despite the grainy footage, Steve’s face staring straight as the camera. New haircut, no bead, and instantly recognisable.  

“Shit.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really don't like having unfinished work. I mean, I really don't.   
> There will be a third and final part of this series, which has been plotted but not yet written. If it's not up by the New Year I'll upload the detailed plan so there is at least an ending to this.   
> Thank-you so much for reading, please leave a Comment, most of this work is very old, but as I said I really don't like having unfinished work.


End file.
